Chapter 169: The Lady in the Painting  

Mubai didn’t answer. Instead he turned to the waiter and said, "Since everyone is here, you can start serving the food."

"Alright, Mr. Xi." The waiter bowed and moved to oblige.

The frown was still on Old Mrs. Xi’s face when she commented, "Mubai, you still haven’t answered why is she here."

"I invited her." Mubai took in the whole group of them and said, "Take a seat and make yourself comfortable."

"Mubai, why didn’t you bring Lin Lin?" Tianxin naturally picked the seat next to him and asked intimately, "I miss the little cutie; I’ve not seen him for a long time."

This was of course all done on purpose, being intimate with her ex-husband and mentioning her son.

She wanted to be a thorn in Xinghe’s side.

Xinghe ignored her and sat down opposite from Mubai.

The round dining table was large enough to seat ten people but that day, the seating arrangement was clearly delineated into two parties.

People from Xi Family and Chu Family sat to one side of the table while Xinghe sat alone opposite them. There were empty seats beside her.

The two mothers totally isolated her. They ignored her existence and started conversing on their own.

"Ping, Tianxin and Mubai’s wedding dress and tux are ready, ours too. Let’s go to the saloon to take a look after lunch," Old Mrs. Xi told Mrs. Chu with a smile.

The two of them had been close friends since they were teenagers. Their relationship had weathered the years.

"Really?" Mrs. Chu laughed joyfully. Her eyes swept condescendingly over Xinghe as she continued, "Then, we shall go later. You have no idea how much I’ve looked forward to seeing Tianxin’s dress. After all, the dress costs fifty million RMB. Luckily, Mubai is willing to pamper her with such an expensive dress."

Old Mrs. Xi raised her voice to make sure Xinghe heard her, "What are you saying? Tianxin is worth more than the dress. I’ve watched her grow up before my eyes, she is the most excellent young lady I’ve ever seen, no one is better than her. It is our fortune to have her marry into Xi Family."

"You flatter us, but Mubai is also the most excellent young man I’ve ever had the fortune to know. You have no clue how much it gladdens my heart to see both of them together."

Old Mrs. Xi nodded. "I feel the same way. They are perfect for each other; only Tianxin is good enough for Mubai."

The two pairs of parents looked at the happy couple with approval in their eyes.

Mubai was expressionless, his thoughts a mystery to everyone present... well almost everyone.

Tianxin, on the other hand, was blushing demurely. She stood up and helped pour tea for Old Mr. and Mrs. Xi. "Auntie and Uncle, please enjoy the tea."

Old Mrs. Xi poked fun at her, "Are you serving this as my daughter-in-law [1]?"

Tianxin blushed even more but the smile that bloomed on her face couldn’t be suppressed. "Auntie, you’re making fun of me again..."

"Tianxin, what are you blushing for? That cup of tea - I’ll drink it sooner or later," Old Mrs. Xi said with mirth. She looked at Tianxin with approval and kindness.

This was a complete opposite of how she treated Xinghe.

Even during the wedding, she gave Xinghe the cold shoulder. When Xinghe got married, her wedding dress was a bargain deal and the wedding was simple and small, one where Old Mrs. Xi never once smiled.

The difference was obvious when it came to Tianxin.

The price tag of the dress aside, Mubai’s parents approved of her. In their eyes, only Tianxin could match Mubai.

Even now, they went out of their way to humiliate Xinghe.

If Xinghe was any other woman, she would have stormed out by now.

However, Xinghe maintained a calm countenance. Like a lady from an oil painting, she sat there, quietly confident in herself, buffeting the world around her.

Translator’s Thoughts

Lonelytree Lonelytree

[1] It is a Chinese custom during the wedding ceremony for the bride and groom to serve their parents tea.